Making dark hair go blonde

[tutorialbucket]

Changing dark hair to blonde is one of the tougher challenges that Photoshop offers. In this Quicktime tutorial, learn about Selective Color and how to acheive this mighty effect. [details]

[DannyRaphael]

Thanks for the link... Looks like a good one.

[Eva Aisling]

Very nice technique! Too bad my hair is too dark to change to blond...I always wondered what it would look like. I think I can make a dark red with this technique, though. Maybe. My hair is black and Curves doesn't seem to do it, unless I am just not using it effectively.
This just makes my hair look yellow on top of black. Anyone wanna have a go at it? It'll be a challenge!
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...akeMeBlond.jpg

[0lBaldy]

tutorialbucket, welcome and thanks .. looking forward to more helpfull tips!

Eva welcome to RetouchPRO Go for it and post a picture! Add your try and what software you are using to help us give you some hints or help

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[Eva Aisling]

I tried, but I can't even come close to anything that might be mistaken for even a real dye job. I can't seem to lighten my hair enough to get any color into without losing the detail. With some extreme lightening, it turns dark brown and looks like doll hair.
I also have trouble making a good selection. My hair tends to blend in with the shadows.

I'm using PS CS3

[Swampy]

Great tutorial, Mr. TutorialBucket!! Easy to follow and well explained.

[igot2pman]

Originally Posted by Eva Aisling

I also have trouble making a good selection. My hair tends to blend in with the shadows.

Start out with the color range tool. Then add to that selection with the pen or lasso tool for the hard to get areas.

-Hope it helps

[0lBaldy]

Gave Evas' picture a try using the tutorial.. A rough selection will do fine because you can paint on the mask to make corrections

I couldn't find the right color "Blonde" that looked right to me so I settled for an almost Platinum look

[Canna W]

Wonderful tutorial! Thanks for the recommendation

My effort using an image from sxc....

[Canna W]

....and now I have tried doing Eva's pic, which I found a lot harder. I am not sure that I have got the end of the tutorial right. I think you are meant to 'erase' by using a black brush on the mask - thus lessening the difference between the original black hair, and the new blonde hair induced by all the steps in photoshop? Kind of blending?

Anyway, here is my effort. I ended up by doing some cloning as well, as the results of my 'erasing/blending' were quite harsh.

[Canna W]

Another posting … I tried it again - this time I selected quite a bit of the skin round the hair line, as well as the hair, and at the end, I used a really low opacity black brush on the masking layer (15%) to blend in the reworked hair with the hair on the background layer. I think the 'blending' is much better done on the skin area.... and up into the hairline, rather than exactly on the hairline. I think the final result is softer and more realistic.

[lkroll]

How about some blue eyes too. lol

Used Retinex and ACE to enhance the hair and then I commenced to do so many back and forth things that I have to say, I did this for the fun of it.

[lkroll]

Decided that I needed to, believe it or not, add dark blurred streaks back in to make it look more realistic imo. lol

[Canna W]

Hi Ikroll, I think that second edit with the dark blurred streaks is miles better. Now off to google Retinex and ACE

[Cassidy]

That's a great tut and very similar results to using a gradient, will have to keep playing with it as I am sure I can get similar results to this which was using a gradient map